What's news?

That's a good question, in my opinion. Weekends are like this---a rehash of the week's stories, unless something grievous happens overnight. 


I agree the Navy jet crashing is newsworthy, and thus far, no fatalities. That makes two major events this week with no known deaths, between the jet and the tornadoes. However, the man who killed his classmates in Oakland, CA, has a less than happy ending to the story. It's that short fuse thing again, the inability to accept not getting the 'participation trophy' in life, and not being able to handle disappointment. Likely it is much more deep seated a problem than that, but from the surface, this is how it is adding up. 


The new car show? Yes, I guess that's newsy, but not necessarily news. They did show the 'surprise' vehicle of the year, the revamped "Viper", which looks fabulous. The one on F & F was bright red with a red/black interior. This type of car rather leaves a bad taste in my mouth, though, as a few years ago, a man and his live-in girlfriend rented here, with matching yellow ones. 


He was a builder who left his wife and family, and needed to have a couple Vipers. One time he fired it up while yet parked in the garage, and I nearly leapt into garbage bin, being so startled. It sounded much like that jet must have which crashed yesterday. Since he was a renter, the owner of the Unit was contacted about the amount of noise, so they had to park them in the open air to keep the racket down. They did not have much interaction with the rest of the people here, with many of the folks not all that approving of the situation. After a few months or so, they were gone, without the repossessed Vipers. Oops!


While it is appalling how much the junket enjoyed by the GSA in Las Vegas cost, I do not think it needs to be rehashed countless times. And then to afix the blame to the previous administration is, well, quite lame! Anyone who has had to plan an event such as this, or a State Builder's Convention, knows that the price for food and beverages appears to be substantially higher than market prices. Mostly this is because the cost of the space and the help is figured in as well. Many months ago the airwaves were lit up over the cost of muffins at a government function, $14 each, which I know, and anyone else who has ever done this planning, knows is not actually just for the muffin. But, it fills the time slotted for it, so have your way with it!


Repeatedly also F & F is showing footage of a supposed Easter egg hunt where the parents seem to be rampaging, but actually, there is no hunting involved. The eggs are lying in clear sight on a football field, ripe for the picking. Little ones don't quite grasp the concept of filling their bags to the very rim with plastic eggs, wanting just the couple they found already. Mom and Dad think more is better, or at least, more than the next person. Stop it! Just stop it!
                                  
I hear Justin's shower running which means I should likely be getting myself ready for the day soon. He is treating me to a movie this late morning, going at the discount time to the theater at the Mall. Justin has finished reading all the books in The Hunger Games series, and wants to see the movie again, with me this time. I feel I know pretty well what's going on since he's excitedly regaled me with it. When that guy gets into something, he REALLY gets into it! 


I don't discount his interest in this series due to the fact that a pastor-friend in MN has also read and liked the stories. Justin wants my political analysis of it, in case he missed something from the movie or the books. I made the mistake of telling him what I heard on the news and on the radio, so now, I am going to the movies!


The other night, rather, early morning, I was awakened by the sound of loud talking, to put it kindly. Things are louder at night, always, but it was enough to jerk me from my sleep. It took some doing for me to fall back into dreamland but eventually I did. This left me tired in the morning, so a nap was needed. Last night my sleep was quite restful so I won't fall asleep in the movies. Not that I usually do but Justin likes to tell how his father would doze off when they went to movies on his visitation day. I understand that happens to a lot of men, at least those are the ones I hear about. I am usually crying or laughing my blame head off at the movies, while guys like the shooting and action type of flicks. How can you fall asleep in the midst of a nuclear meltdown?

This He did for me...

Justin and I just got home from church, stopping at Steak 'n Shake for a bite to eat afterward. I had not planned to eat out, thinking I would have my leftovers from last night's outing at Aron's after Maundy Thursday worship. It surprised me to see Justin come into church since we had not talked about it, and he was napping when I left home. He had told me he was meeting his friends later to go play pool so when he walked into the church, I was glad but puzzled.


Before the service began, we were a little nervous as our male voice, Sterling, was not there yet, missing rehearsal and eventually, the entire service. Also, as church was due to begin, the acolyte was still not there. At the last moment, the pastor's son finally stepped into place to carry the candle. Whew! That was close...The choir opened the worship with our anthem "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" at which time the Christ candle was carried down the aisle.


Robbie sang Sterling's parts as best he could on the fly, as it were, and later thanked us for rolling with the punches. (After church was emptied, as folks saw fit, Sterling came flying into the parking lot on his bike, sweating up a storm. He told Cliff he got involved with something at work and totally missed his departure time. And he was the one who requested the e-mail reminders!) I didn't get to speak with him, as he turned right around and headed for home. 


The last two nights we wore our choir robes without the decorative collars, and tonight, the acolyte wore only the black gown without the surplice over the top to match the stark decor of the darkened sanctuary.

This was taken at church tonight using my cell phone. The Good Shepherd picture blurs in the background

Michael conducted the service tonight, with fewer in attendance for this special night than the one on Maundy Thursday. We had nearly 60 in church last night, about half that many tonight. The service was a devotional-style with Michael reading through the last words from the cross, with a commentary accompanying. The hymns we sang were evocative, of course, including "Were You There?" 

Following the closing hymn, the lights were switched off and we left in silence and in darkness, after the Christ candle was extinguished and carried out of the sanctuary. "Jesus died for me, Oh, Jesus died for me..."

Maundy Thursday reflections

"And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on; And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on. And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing His love for me, And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, And through eternity, I'll sing on."


This is the closing stanza of the hymn Robbie sang tonight, a capella, as the ladies of the Altar Guild participated in the ceremonial stripping of the chancel in the darkened sanctuary. The last stanza was perfectly timed to coincide with the brass cross coming down the aisle, and being handed to the acolyte to remove from the sanctuary.


Every year it is quite profound to witness, and especially so when there are people who experience it the first time.
Unfortunately, I was not able to catch Amber before she and her granddaughter left the property, to speak with her about it, but Judy might have. 


Immediately following the distribution of the Lord's Supper, the choir sang our anthem "Out of the Depths" which we drilled on Wednesday night and again prior to the service. According to Robbie, it sounded good, and others reported the same. 


Part of what moved me, besides the ceremony itself, was seeing the women taking part. There was Twila, who a year ago underwent open heart surgery. Also, Bonnie, still in treatment for cancer which was diagnosed only weeks after losing her son to diabetes. 

Ethel receiving the stole from Pastor, Bonnie and Donna have their backs to the congregation, blocking Terri from view. On the right are Ellen and Judy

Ethel and Terri, her daughter, every year are responsible for the appointments of the altar, lectern, stole, and the drape of the cross. Terri removes and folds it all, and lays it across Ethel's outstretched arms. Her mom has been ailing with an illness the early part of the year, not her usual self. It was great to see Ethel in this role yet once more.


On Good Friday we are singing again, at the beginning of the service, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", a choral piece, and we are running through it before service again. I must must must remind myself to not watch The Five to the very end to get to church in time to rehearse. 


On days like these, I could use a DVR but do not wish to be caught up in that trap again. That thing held me captive! I remember taking it back to Comcast after Justin moved out the last time, standing in line with the DVR tucked under my arm. The man in front of me had one, too, and I told him it would be the best day of his life to get rid of it. He looked at me sort of funny (really?) and said, "I am trading this one in, and getting two more".
Oh, never mind.....

My bling 'n things

No lounging in bed for me today---bright and early I had to once more be in the dental chair. Somehow I was under the impression (ha, ha!) my crown was going in this visit but now I understand that only the gold post, the basis, for the crown was going in. From there, then, the final impression would be made. This makes sense, and I am sure it was explained to me when I was under the influence of the happy gas. 


Nearly two hours later, I was out the door. Oh, but before the temporary was re-installed, Peggy took out a mirror so I could see my shiny gold stub of a tooth. It was all polished up and really was pretty. She said she hated to have to grind or do any smoothing on the gold, because it's such a waste. The residue goes up the suction tool or down my throat, never to be seen again! As I wrote on Facebook, my million dollar smile is that plus a few thousand more! 


My friend, Julia, had a birthday yesterday, but I didn't go up to the shop until today. I went after the dental visit to extend my birthday wishes in person. She told me about her marvelous birthday dinner at a ritzy place called Orsay, which took three hours to consume. Thankfully they had some gift cards to help defray part of the costs of this fabulous birthday dinner. As my lovely parting gift, Julia gave me a stem from her floral arrangement from Hawaii. 

I was so ready to be at home, as the nitrous oxide usually leaves me a bit sleepy. For lunch (yes, it was nearly noon when I got home!) I had the leftover dinner from Tuesday night, Sonny's BBQ! I had the beans and franks, which came with fries, plus mac 'n cheese and garlic bread. The cost of my soda was included in the price I paid, which was less than the sandwich meal Justin ordered. He ate all of his food, sharing the corn nuggets appetizer, plus he ate my mac 'n cheese. When the waitress brought the box, it was hard for me to get the cover closed for my leftovers. Now that's what I call a meal, and a deal! And a good lunch the next day...


I got caught up on the e-mail before resting, and got an interesting one from Chris D., a former member of GS. He directed me to another person's FB page to read the postings. From what I could tell, a young man also named Chris had died unexpectedly in Australia, where he lived and worked. Chris D. and I worked with him in the early 90's at Sprint. No details of his death were offered but one comment after another on his page was that of regret for not keeping better in touch. 


In my exchanges with Chris D., we discussed this, how FB does allow us to find and then reconnect with people in our lives, past and present. Sadly, though, we say we are going to do better with staying in touch or actually getting together, but then miss the opportunity to do so. Chris and Chris had actually lived together for a bit in Orlando, with a third housemate. He was just blown away with this news. I told him about the lady who invited me to lunch last week, fulfilling her resolution to catch up people she has said she would. Do it, people, do it!
*****
I knew full well about the two hour choir rehearsal this evening, sent a reminder e-mail to Sterling since he was absent from choir last week, and discussed it with Justin that I might be gone before he got from work. Well, I got so involved in The Five, watching it to the end, and then suddenly realizing I was late for choir!


As I dashed out the door, I tried calling Robbie to let him know I was on my way, but it went to his voice mail. Rats! I called Carol's cell phone then and she answered after many rings. I explained that I was on the way, blah, blah, blah, and she said, "I'm at Subway. Robbie said choir was at 7:00." 


No, he did not---he said 6 to 8 with snacks in between. I called Kristi and she was there at church with Debbie and Sterling, plunking through one of the pieces as best she could. Yikes! Robbie had told Carol it was at 7:00 even though she knew he said 6:00 pm. 


Anyway, I came flying through the door about twenty minutes late, telling the group how I drove through people's yards to get there. Robbie apologized for the mix-up and the frenzy, and once his mom got there, we began. Our four pieces for the next three worship opportunities went together nicely, and my confidence is in his piano playing. The louder he plays, the better we sound!


I didn't get home until 9:30 which drew Justin from his room. Two late church nights this week already. He asked, "Three hours of practice?" and I explained the mix-up in times. Monday night he was concerned for my safety but tonight he was fine. Oh, and when we left choir, Sterling asked me to send an e-mail to everyone to confirm the times for our rehearsals prior to the services for uniformity. I can do that!


Justin was dragging himself around, bone weary and worn out from his days' work. Jesse and he were extremely late with getting started due to traffic tie-ups which had no cars moving on Blanding or the freeway between Blanding and Hwy. 17. Only one lane was open on the freeway during rush hour, which is not good. 


He told me they were going to try a short cut through the parking lot of the bank on Wells and Blanding, pulled onto Blanding. 25 minutes later, they pulled into a parking lot to find another route, the driveway being the next one from the bank they short-cutted through! No progress found in that attempt. It was all over the news, the traffic reporters trying to warn people away from this route. 


Because of their delayed start, they ended up working later, spending the entire day on a commercial job, gathering up leaves. The good news was that they got to use the Hardees coupons I gave Justin from the week's mail. Great deals, and it was right near where they were working. 


How about those tornadoes in Dallas??? I had read my friend's posting that she was trying to fly out of Dallas but couldn't because there were tornado warnings so I turned on the news. Sure enough, there was live footage of the tornadoes moving around in the Dallas metroplex, complete with Schneider Transport trucks flying through the air. Justin had gotten home already and we watched together. It was unreal! 
                                         
One of our members drives for them so I sent Richard an e-mail asking if he was okay. Kristi told me at choir that he was actually at the depot when it was hit, but his truck was in the repair bay and not damaged, and he was safe where he was. He would send very brief text messages to her at their dad's house to let them know he was alive.Yikes!!!


I know of many folks who live in that area so I kept up with a map on the Internet, looking for the communities the weather guys out of Dallas were issuing the warnings. Kelly finally did get a flight for tomorrow morning, after many cancellations since the tornadoes, so she can get home to her hubby and baby. I hope she makes it this time. What a nightmare scenario, but thankfully, no apparent loss of life. Thanks be to God!

What a lovely morning!

My morning was spent working on the newsletter for The Palace, which truly does not take all that long. Not like the church newsletter does, that's for sure! The Board has not met since our Annual meeting which makes for a slowness of news. Fortunately there is other stuff to write about, such as new plantings on the property and double rainbows in the river. 

Several of my neighbors do not have computers or cannot print the newsletter, so I do this for them, delivering it to their doors. If they are not home, I simply leave it in the door. At one unit, I rang the bell, and when no one came right away, I tucked it in the door and turned to leave. Just as I walked away, Betty opened her door and the newsletter dropped to the ground. She snapped it up and asked me to come in. I am so glad I did!

Betty asked me if she could play a song for me on the piano and I told her yes. The baby grand is quite elderly, belonging first to Betty's mom, and now to her. Some of the notes sound elderly too, which seemed almost fitting for its appearance. Not that it was decrepit or anything, more like the finish was not what I expected for a baby grand. Rather than being smooth and shiny, in black or white, this piano had the look of an upright from the old days, more of an oak finish, like furniture.

She played "I'm in the Mood For Love" from an old music book, and played beautifully. She told me how she played this song for her granddaughter, and her fiance, and they thought it was the most beautiful song ever heard. It was a first for her granddaughter, and now she wants it played at her wedding!

Betty is known affectionately by her grands and great-grands as "Moley" for some reason long forgotten, but the name is now hers. She is a widow of about four years, I believe, having lost her Navy Commander husband to Alzheimer's. When he got sick, she quit all her jobs to stay home to take care of him, and never looked back. She served on the Boards of many organizations in Clay County in the past, and was a Realtor besides. Now, she has no computer in her home and refuses to have one!

Her daughter, Cathy, spends most of her time staying with Betty, age now 84, as they keep each other company. Cathy's spouse works for the TSA on the western side of the state, which allows Cathy to hang out with her mom at The Palace! She is a gem and we have matching political beliefs which makes for good times when visiting on the sun deck or at the pool! Last year Martie, Cathy, and I plus Cathy's brother, Gary, enjoyed a lovely evening doing just that.

I have mentioned Betty before, I am sure, since she has the claim to fame in The Palace as having been a Rockette! This photo was taken in 1947, in silhouette. 

Betty had a birthday last week and she wanted to show me her gifts. One was a hand-made quilt, made by her other granddaughter. It was her grands first time making a quilt and it was fabulous! Betty had it displayed across a settee in the river room. 

The squares of the quilt, probably about 10 x 10" each, her granddaughter cut from her grandfather's favorite shirts, including those he wore in the Navy. Betty pointed out the ones he wore for church, his Friday-only red sweater for Patriot Fridays (he never wore red otherwise, because 'he was a Gator!' This sounds like  a legitimate reason to a Gator fan...), a sweatshirt they had made for a family cruise, his Navy reunion shirts---each significant in the life of Andy. And now again, back in Betty's home. I was moved, moved to tears!

Next, Betty showed me a tray table which was next to her wicker chair  in the same room. This was a wooden table, like a TV tray, which her daughter, Cindy, had carved and colored. These people are just unbelievable!!! The words around the edges are a take-off from the book and movie, "The Help", where the black nanny/housekeeper would tell her little white charge---"You is strong. You is smart. You is beautiful." Cindy added more text to it, expressing love and admiration for her mom.  As I neared the door, I asked to come back in, to snap a picture of it, but didn't photo graph the quilt. Gives me an excuse to go back again!

A long day today

Only moments ago I got home from Ladies' Group as a couple of us sat around and talked long after the meeting broke up. At one point my phone rang, with Justin calling to make sure I was 'safe'. He was getting concerned that I was not home from Ladies' Group yet which normally had me home before nine. I like to keep him guessing!


This was my second trip to the church today, and my third for the week thus far. Tuesday is the only day that I have no need to go there this week. Wednesday is choir rehearsal and we are having a two-hour session in order to better learn our Maundy Thursday piece as well as our 'standard' Easter anthem. With our 'tiny' in number choir, the practice will be much needed and much appreciated. On a good day, we might have six people, but normally, more like 5 of us. Folks say we sound like more, though, which is good to know.


The first part of the day was Bible study, conducted by Michael, as pastor is busy with getting things ready for Holy Week services. We wrapped up our study of "What Must I Do to Be Saved?" with seven ladies in attendance. Joseph was absent and was not at church yesterday either. Must be tied up with his own ministry or else something came up for him.


All us ladies went to lunch, without Mike, and had a different waiter take care of us. Actually, it's waitress, and she was prompted by Jason as to what to bring us to drink. I thought that was pretty good of her to remember what we drank, since it's been a long time since she took care of us! I opted for a hamburger for lunch and brought half of that home with me. Justin had it for a snack when he got home from work.


After lunch, I went up to the Publix on the same property to exchange a jar of mayo. Justin had gone shopping yesterday afternoon and bought two jars of it, from the buy one/get one bin, and found one of them to be already expired. I simply swapped it out, no problem, and then picked up a couple other items to buy while there. 


As I went through the check-out, I asked the lady if she could use the same bag that held my jar of 'may-o', which prompted her to ask, "Are you from up north?" As I laughed, "Yes...", she welcomed me to the South. I thanked her and said, "I have lived here since 1988!" and she said, "Before I was born!", but I still got it, the accent, that is. Apparently the way I said, "May-o" gave me away,  the dragged out or emphasized "o" at the end of the short word.


As I headed back to The Palace, I remembered needing to stop at the accountant's office to pick up my completed tax return. Thankfully I do not have to pay additional taxes but must make my first quarterly payment before the 15th. I always think of my niece, Lisa, in Sheboygan as she works towards the end of the tax season. Hang in there, kiddo!
                                             
When I got home, I posted on Facebook about the 'accent' encounter happening to me yet again in just a little more than a week's time. What a fire storm of comments this elicited! One Friend now in LA remarked about how expressions we used to use in our hometown have no meaning in the South, while their expressions or descriptions for things were so different for him as well. Mike mentioned something called a hosepipe, which I thought might be a spigot or tail pipe on a car. Nope, it's what those in his part of Louisiana call the garden hose! No kidding! Like the bubbler/water fountain discussion, most regional, as is soda/pop. What fun that was!

Tomorrow I must work on the newsletter for The Palace as I am a bit behind the times, here, for no apparent reason. I will be sure to include the photo of the double rainbow which smiled on the river outside our building on Saturday evening!

Palm Sunday

This was the sight which greeted me upon arriving at church. Carol got there at the same time and when I told her how nice it was, she remarked that they are smaller branches than other years. I assured her that they were fine, did the job of reminding the community and us all that it is Palm Sunday. The teens or older school kids were going to work with Paul on assembling the palm crosses to be pinned to our garments for the day. I did see two boys handing them out, one who came after the crosses were already made.


Paul's dad plus his two half-brothers have come down to FL for a vacation, which is their first time since Paul and Emily's wedding in 1999. Paul looks very much like his father, remarkably so. Tomorrow they are going to the beach and do some other fun touristy stuff in the area while Paul and Emily are at work. Not sure if Sarah is on break this week or not, but she was quite excited about having her uncles and grandpa come for a visit.


After church Justin and I went to Chili's with only the Chappell's, as no one else was available to join us.Terri T. couldn't come because she was going to the County Fair. Mike S. still had a few dollars left on his Chili's gift card but declined the offer to join us. Judy J. was not up to it, or something, so our small group went alone.                                          
                                    
I get the triple appetizer, switching it up to include chicken tenders added to my two portions of potato skins. The uneaten portion I normally bring home (about half) to have at a later time. The chips can be microwaved to make them fresh for eating at home, and neither of us care for the salsa they sent along. It comes in handy if I make something with a tomato base, like soup or chili.


The nacho chips are free, which Justin gets through his participation in FourSquare on his cell phone. He told me he is the "Mayor" of FourSquare because of the frequency of his visits to Chili. Nearly every Sunday now we go there after church, a practice which began during football season so I could see the game while we ate. Talk about being a needy friend!


As we were finishing up, I looked out the window to see our friend, Amber, and her granddaughter, getting into their car. She had told Judy they were going shopping so we didn't ask her along with us. Rats! It is wonderful that not only is Amber in church nearly every week but now her granddaughter wants to come to Sunday school and church. I watched in worship as Amber tried to show Reagan how to follow along in the hymnal, like she was shown about four months ago! 



Justin and I had a nice quiet afternoon, just doing our own thing. He had vacuumed the kitchen and my bedroom on Saturday. Taking some of the time to 'read' one of his books, "The Hunger Games II", he took a break from getting his room straightened away. After seeing the first movie a week or so ago, he has read (listened to) the first book while working and is now on the 2nd in the series, and loving it! I have learned so much about it simply listening to him recount the story line to me. Between this book series and "The Walking Dead" (yech!), I am getting quite an earful!